Thai Transport Ministry Management Conflict Could Affect Mega-Project Developments

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ANALYSIS

Transport Ministry clashes 'slow projects'

Watcharapong Thongrung

The Nation

The reported management conflict between Transport Minister Sukampol Suwannathat and his two deputy ministers, Chatt Kuldiloke and Kittisakdi Hathasongkroh, could affect the ministry's efforts to push forward mega-project developments to serve the government's policy, a source says.

During the past four months the ministry has shown little progress on mega-projects promised by the Pheu Thai Party during the general-election campaign, including 10 mass-transit routes, the dual-track project, and high-speed rail. The ministry is key to bringing such projects on stream, which would lead to massive investment in the country.

A ministry source said Sukampol and his deputies appeared to work in different directions and the minister had reportedly centralised decision-making power.

However, Sukampol, a Pheu Thai outsider, together with Chatt and Kittisakdi, both from the ruling party, last week held a joint news conference to deny the reports of a conflict.

Chatt also denied a report that he had consulted with former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra on his conflict with Sukampol. He said that during the initial stage they might have had some problems with coordination given that they had yet to determine the line of responsibility, but this was not a big problem. Now that has been sorted out, and they work together more smoothly.

At a separate event earlier, Kittisakdi said his attempts to appoint board directors of some state agencies under his responsibility had faced some interventions, but he declined to elaborate. The ministry source said that in the past the transport minister and the deputies would set a clear line of responsibilities among themselves to make it clear in which areas the deputies would have full decision-making authority. However, the present deputy ministers appeared to lack such full authority, which made them feel uncomfortable.

The source is doubtful there will be a change at the top to make the ministry work more quickly in carrying out government policy.

Sukampol has assigned Chatt to oversee the Rural Road Department, the State Railway of Thailand, and the Mass Rapid Transit Authority, while Kittisakdi was assigned to oversee the Civil Aviation Training Centre, the Port Authority of Thailand, and the Marine Department.

-- The Nation 2011-12-13

[Bagwan]

This has nothing to do with the theft of an as yet to be determined amount of the folding stuff from the house of the senior Civil Servant at the Ministry of course.